NEW DELHI: Two men were arrested for allegedly disrupting communal harmony and holding a protest without permission in the Jama Masjid area of Delhi last week against the controversial remarks on Prophet Mohammad made by now-sacked BJP functionaries, police said on Sunday.
Recordings of footage from CCTV and mobile phone cameras are being scanned to identify more culprits, the police said. Mohd Nadeem Zaid (45), a resident of the Jama Masjid area, and Mohd Faheem Khan (37), a resident of the Turkman Gate area, were arrested on Saturday. While Zaid is a vendor, Khan works as an electrician. The two have no previous criminal record, the police added.
Protests erupted outside the Jama Masjid in the national capital on June 10, with hundreds of people demanding the arrest of suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Shweta Chauhan said, “On June 10, an FIR was registered at Jama Masjid police station against the protesters under Section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the IPC as a protest was held without permission. After Friday prayers, Zaid held a poster in his hands. Both Zaid and Khan raised slogans during the unlawful assembly at Jama Masjid.” Efforts are on to identify others who were involved, Chauhan said.